Over the River and Through the Woods

Over the last several days we've been enjoying a whirlwind tour through our old Midwest stomping grounds and loving every minute of it. Right now we're at TK's parent's home in Princeton and we took a little trip yesterday to Bishop Hill, an historic Swedish settlement in western Illinois. I've been wanting to go for a visit ever since I heard about it's existence to check out the gift shops and bakeries full of Scandinavian goods.
It of course didn't disappoint! Our first stop was the Colony Store which I'll gladly accept a gift certificate to at any time. Just feast your eyes on all the Swedish food, tomtes, and linens!



We had a scrumptious lunch of Swedish meatballs and lingonberries at one of the old restaurants in town...true to form, Sawyer enjoyed sucking on his water's lemon as an appetizer. The local bakery wasn't too shabby either!




We picked up at few items from the store for the kiddos (one still en utero with an undetermined gender)...a Christmas tree ornament for Sawyer and an awesome bib from Grandma for the baby. I'll admit that  unashamedly love Scandinavian anything, so for me our visit was a real treat. I can't wait to head back to Bishop Hill this summer for their Midsummer festival in the end of June!

Viking Boy

In the past, I've droned on about the Swedish heritage I've inherited through marriage, friends, and associates. It's a love/love relationship, really, even if it might not sound like it. I've also talked about my hate/hate relationship with Halloween. It's a holiday I've always avoided, but with a kiddo in the mix, you just can't be a Halloween scrooge, as much as you'd like to be.

Last year, I committed to making kids' costumes so that I would be prepared and enjoy the holiday. Sawyer as a mummy was a success last year...and a cheap one at that. This year, we upgraded to something actually sewn and preconceived.

My little half-Swede was a VIKING!

As the base layer, I used a white undershirt, brown shoes, and brown leggings. I bought a plastic viking helmet for $3 on Amazon which I figure will grace a dress-up box for years to come. At JoAnn Fabrics, I bought some faux fur for his tunic and boots (sewn onto the base layers), some canvas ribbon to "wrap up" the boots, some black suede for a belt, and some Nordic buttons to add to the belt.

Keeping the helmet on was obviously some pie-in-the-sky, rookie mom idea, but he kept it on for about ten seconds at a time, so we got a few pictures in his full-on gear.

He and his bunny friend "trunk-or-treated" and had a grand old time. He had to get used to the action first, so looks a little unsure of things/miserable.

After a round of bags, he warmed up to the idea.

Once he realized candy was involved, he was intrigued.

Worn out after an evening of pillaging!

Scandinavian Almond Cake

Have you ever had the pleasure of indulging in a slice of Scandinavian Almond Cake? No? So sad. So unfortunate. You've really got to try it. It's light, it's subtle, it's perfection.

The recipe is beyond simple and all you need is this handy-dandy pan that you can find in any Scandinavian boutique. You can also get it here if you're prone to online shopping. I'd send you to this link first - the BEST Swedish store ever - but their online store is under construction. If you live in Chicago, you need to find some time to get yourself to The Sweden Shop in Albany Park. It's a dream-world full of tomtes, clogs, dala horses, and Marimekko.

In addition to the almond cake pan (and some Andy Williams Christmas music playing in the background), you'll need some basics: flour, baking powder, sugar, an egg, milk, almond extract, and butter.

Two things you don't want to go through the holiday season without are almond extract and butter. Let's be honest: almond extract is like liquid gold. Every drop is a blessing from above. Extracts were buy one get one free the other night at Jewel-Osco, so I jumped on it. If you're saying to yourself, "Duh...why would I buy almond extract for just this one recipe?," I'll say in response to you that you'll most likely want to make this cake again, and I'll also ask if you remember the recipe I posted for Almond Chex Mix last year.

The recipe is below and all you really need to remember is to be sure that you let the cake cool completely before you try and release it from the pan. Don't get any bright ideas here...you can't rush perfection. Enjoy!

Scandinavian Almond Cake
1. Spray pan with Pam or cooking spray.
2. Beat well 1 1/4 cup sugar, 1 egg, 1 1/2 teaspoons almond extract and 2/3 cup milk.
3. Add 1 1/4 cup flour and 1/2 teaspoon baking powder.
4. Add 1 stick melted butter.
5. Mix well.
6. Bake at 350 degrees for 40-50 minutes. Edges must be golden brown. Cool in pan 10-15 minutes before removing. Cake will break if removed too soon or too late. Sprinkle with confectionery sugar.

Viking Man

I've been a lover of Sandra Monat's vikings, knights templar, angels, etc. ever since the day I laid eyes on their perfect form. Each one of them is cooler than cool, but they are also priced for only the Richie Riches in our lives. I'd love to have an original, but this girl can't afford to cough up $138+ for a plush toy. I just can't!

You've all heard my song and dance about marrying into Swedish ancestry, so I'll spare you this time. The bottom line is that I saw the vikings and needed to make one for my half Swedish, soon-to-be-born baby boy.

Don't worry, my muse, I'll never make another knock off...I just wanted to try this one time. He turned out wonderfully, if I do say so myself, and he'll be loved and adored for years to come.

Wanna-Be

Since I was a little girl yearning for toe(point)-ballet shoes, I've wanted to go see a "real" production of the Nutcracker during the Christmas season. I've never been one for Broadway or musicals in general, but for some reason an official seat at the Nutcracker Ballet has always been an aspiration of mine.

This weekend my lovely sister got the two of us tickets to the Joffrey Ballet's presentation and it was all this old wanna-be-ballerina hoped for and more. Tutus and soldiers! Evil mice and the Sugar Plum Fairy! I relived my childhood dreams for 2 hours and wished I had never given up ballet. What was I thinking as a 12-year old!?

Bring on the Bliss

You know what yesterday was in my book...time to break out the Christmas music! I've got some Mariah Carey playing and am sipping on a peppermint mocha. Now that wretched Halloween is done it's time to bring on the holidays!

"That's a Lot of Look"

"Designers, gather 'round!" Project Runway and our favorite fashion consultant, Tim Gunn, are back! Turn your channels from Bravo to Lifetime and tune in this Thursday for Season 6 of one of the greatest reality shows of all time.

I don't know about you, but I can't get enough of Heidi Klum's class, Michael Kors' one-liners, and Tim Gunn's sass. Due to its late-in-the-season airing and previous lawsuits (with the channel switch), I think we've waited long enough for this season to start! Let the games begin!

Through His Stomach

If the way to a man's heart is through his stomach, I've discovered the precious key to romance. Sure, my husband is appropriately appreciative of a meal cooked lovingly for hours with great ingredients by yours truly. BUT I've found that at his core, he's a sucker for a simple home-cooked meal that is in all ways unassuming.

I found a simple and delicious gem online from Cooking Light that hits the spot every time. It's easy-to-make and to-die-for at the same time. Here's what you'll need from the grocer:

1 cup (4 ounces) shredded 4-cheese Mexican blend cheese, 1/3 cup fat-free milk, 1/4 cup egg substitute, 1 teaspoon ground cumin, 1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper, 1 (14 3/4-ounce) can cream-style corn, 1 (8.5-ounce) box corn muffin mix (such as Jiffy), 1 (4-ounce) can chopped green chiles, drained, Cooking spray, 1 (10-ounce) can red enchilada sauce, 2 cups shredded cooked chicken breast (preferably a rotisserie), 1/4 cup fat-free sour cream

I believe that Rotisserie chickens can cover a multitude of failures on my part when it comes to chicken prep. Seriously. Buy them and reap the rewards.

After preheating your oven to 400°, combine 1/4 cup cheese and next 7 ingredients (through chiles) in a large bowl, stirring just until moist. Pour mixture into a 13 x 9–inch casserole dish coated with cooking spray.

Bake at 400° for 20 minutes or until set. Pierce entire surface liberally with a fork and then pour enchilada sauce over the top. Top with shredded chicken and sprinkle with remaining 3/4 cup cheese. Continue to bake for 15 minutes or until cheese melts.

Remove from oven and let casserole cool for 5 minutes. Cut into 8 pieces and top each serving with sour cream or guacamole.


Chicken Tamale Casserole (from Cooking Light, 2008)
Ingredients
* 1 cup (4 ounces) shredded 4-cheese Mexican blend cheese, divided
* 1/3 cup fat-free milk
* 1/4 cup egg substitute
* 1 teaspoon ground cumin
* 1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper
* 1 (14 3/4-ounce) can cream-style corn
* 1 (8.5-ounce) box corn muffin mix (such as Jiffy)
* 1 (4-ounce) can chopped green chiles, drained
* Cooking spray
* 1 (10-ounce) can red enchilada sauce
* 2 cups shredded cooked chicken breast (I use the white meat from a rotisserie chicken)
* 1/2 cup fat-free sour cream
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 400°.
2. Combine 1/4 cup cheese and next 7 ingredients (through chiles) in a large bowl, stirring just until moist. Pour mixture into a 13 x 9–inch baking dish coated with cooking spray.
3. Bake at 400° for 15 minutes or until set. Pierce entire surface liberally with a fork; pour enchilada sauce over top. Top with chicken; sprinkle with remaining 3/4 cup cheese. Bake at 400° for 15 minutes or until cheese melts. Remove from oven; let stand 5 minutes. Cut into 8 pieces; top each serving with 1 tablespoon sour cream.

Urban Farming

Excuse my absence friends... sometimes you just have writer's block and are generally uninspired, right?

Moving on. As part of our church's "Just Food" ministry, an urban vegetable garden has been installed in our back yard. Some friends, TK, and I have spent several weeks installing and caring for this living beast. Over a weekend, we leveled the ground, built raised beds, filled in soil, and planted a wide variety of veggies. The past weeks have been filled with rain, sun, and plant care. It's been amazing to see the garden come to life in such a short span of time.

We've planted herbs, tomatoes, squash, zucchini, cucumbers, peppers, beans, kale, broccoli, and more.

It's been about a month since we started planting and look at all the growth! While I haven't enjoyed the rainy weather we've experienced over the last few weeks, our plants are drinking it right up. It's amazing to watch as the sun does it's wonder on the earth. I'm particularly intrigued by broccoli. When you're used to getting food in a plastic bag from the grocery store, there's something magical about cultivating it with your own two hands and watching it become something from nothing.

Ethiopia

This lovely lady hails from Ethiopia and was custom made for a coworker of mine whose friend is adopting a little girl from Africa. I hope that this princess dressed in her finest will be a dear friend to her for years to come!

A Derby Alternative

I've said it before and I'll say it again...making meals or desserts from scratch is a worthwhile effort that pays off. If Mine that Bird was a good investment (he only cost $9500 and was a 50-1 long shot), so is using some elbow grease to whip together some homemade cupcakes...Mint Julep Cupcakes in honor of race day!

On mine and my friend Amy's part, a decent amount of expectation and hope went into Big Brown's quest for the Triple Crown last May/June, only to be let down big time at Belmont Stakes. We remain ever hopeful for an eventual three race victory.

Back to the subject at hand. Last year for the Kentucky Derby we made some Mint Juleps that...well...weren't great. As the Derby came around again this year though, a friend of mine sent me a link to a recipe for Mint Julep Cupcakes she thought we might like.

The ingredients contain the usual suspects of mint, whiskey and sugar... but they are all mixed in and disguised into a delicious cupcake form. Be still my heart. The icing is decedent, but I think it really makes them. Unless you are feeding an army of horse-racing fans dessert, you might consider halving the recipe (make the amount of icing that the recipe calls for though!), as it yields plenty of cupcakes. Here's the link...now onward ho to the Preakness Stakes!

Laundry = FUN

If only I had this ol' gal's enthusiasm when doing laundry...

New Swedish Mug

Remember that song and dance I did about my mug-loving-Swedish husband? A new Scandinavian coffee mug (of which I completely and utterly approve) graces our cupboard, dala horse and all. Time for some glögg!

Playoffs...

While you may find this completely unbelievable (as do I) my Fantasy Football team, ¡ándale ándale!, has made it into the playoffs of our family league. Not only have I made it into the playoffs, but after an 8-game winning streak, I have managed to find myself in first place by the slightest of margins. (See image below.)


At this point, there are four teams left, so to be the champion, I'll need to win two more match-ups. I'm not counting on it, but I'll be very proud if I do win. While my attentiveness to my team throughout the season has aided in my success as a "manager" so far, the prowess of Drew Brees (QB), Thomas Jones (RB), and Indianapolis's defense have also been extremely helpful.

Don't let me down boys!

Pippi Långstrump

Even though I didn't grow up wrapped in Swedish tradition, I did love Pippi Longstocking and spent more than one Halloween dressed up as one of my favorite "orphans." She had common-sense, amazing strength which allowed her to literally pick up anything, and lived parent-less with her horse and monkey. What else could a little girl want, right?

I think my mom did a great job getting my braids around a straightened hanger. She sewed me up a mismatched ragamuffin outfit inspired by my 8-year old vision of what an ideal Swedish orphan should look like. I even had painted freckles to enhance my own. Kids crack me up on Halloween...

Don't Forget...

I think it is a serious privilege and honor to cast our votes this fall. I just got back from an early voting polling place in my fair city of Chicago. I hope you American readers will all do the same, helping to determine the path you feel best for your own lives, our country, and this world. I'll be waiting with baited breath to see how this whirlwind of an election season turns out... my hopes are high.